Yes, they can

As they waited for some kind of gesture from the champagne-drenched players inside — a wave, a smile, a thrown T-shirt — in one corner, a glistening silver car was being driven around. Now the property of Man of the Series Ishant Sharma, its passengers not too long ago had been a victorious Team India, comprising some young, some old, some evergreen faces.

“It was a great victory,” captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni proclaimed, and a famous one, too. The final frontier, which fell in this same city four years ago, had been fortified once again with a 2-0 series win over Australia that could, with time, be considered a harbinger of change in cricket’s world order.

The resounding 172-run margin was also a perfect tribute for Sourav Ganguly in his final Test. It was under him, seven years ago, that Indian cricket’s modern face had cut its teeth by beating a mightier side from Australia in what is still considered to be one of Team India’s biggest achievements ever.

Anil Kumble, who walked into the sunset in the third Test in Delhi, was at hand to receive the Border-Gavaskar trophy along with Dhoni, India’s practice shirt sitting comfortably on his shoulders over a pair of blue jeans — and under a new haircut.

Kumble started this campaign in Bangalore, and Dhoni ended it here in Nagpur, inflicting on Australia the most comprehensive series defeat they have tasted this generation. “We were completely outplayed,” Ricky Ponting said. “When we face India next, here or back home in Australia, we’ll have to ensure that we can match up to them.” Captains from Down Under have scarcely spoken humbler, more deferential, words.

Monday had started with a world of distant possibilities, and with the imminent reality of an Indian victory. Scoring 369 runs on the final day, even with 10 wickets in hand, isn’t something international Test cricket usually permits. Only once in a while does a team stands up to accomplish the improbable, and the Australians had every right to dream of such a perfect chase.

But great final-day pursuits are made up of clear heads and steely resolves. And, in a match that had its share of ups, downs, controversial defensive tactics, and trouble with over-rates, the frontline Australian batsmen couldn’t keep the red mist away for long enough to raise visions of an extraordinary comeback.

Their hopes were shattered early by two moments of recklessness. First, opener Simon Katich threw his bat premeditatedly at a delivery from Ishant, sending the ball circling high in the air before Dhoni could close his gloves around it. Then, captain Ponting — who needed to lead by example — took off for a pointless run to mid-off, perhaps underestimating the slightly duck-footed Amit Mishra’s pick up and throw. Run out by a direct under-arm hit, his dismissal made it 29 for two.

An Indian victory was just a matter of time after that. And as more wickets tumbled, Michael Clarke before lunch, and six more over the next 90 minutes, Dhoni asked Ganguly to captain the side one last time. “I had already switched off by then,” he joked later, “Dhoni woke me up.”

Ganguly handed back the reins after just three overs (“it’s your job now”) and the last wicket fell soon after, Harbhajan Singh trapping Mitchell Johnson lbw and uprooting a stump on the bowling end as his team mates ran in for a festive huddle.

The match was over and for Ganguly, so was life as he knew it so far.